Rack or tray for dental and like instruments.



W. L. SMITH.

RACK 0R TRAY FOR DENTAL AND LIKE INSTRUMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 28, 1908.

935,420. Patented Sept. 28, 1909.

WITNESSES T INVENTO UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WESLEY LINFORD SMITH, 0F PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

RACK OR, TRAY FOR DENTAL AND LIKE INSTRUMENTS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, IVESLEY LINFORD SMITH, a resident of Pittsburg, inthe county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a newand useful Improvement in Racks or Trays for Dental and LikeInstruments, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a rack or tray for holding small instrumentssuch as used by dentists, surgeons and the like.

The object of the invention is to provide a rack or tray for thispurpose which is convenient to use, that is, from which instruments canbe easily picked up, and one which is entirely germproof and capable ofbeing subjected to any kind of antiseptic treatment to render the deviceentirely sanitary.

Generally stated, the device comprises a rack or tray formed ofgerm-proof material, preferably a vitreous material, such as glass orporcelain, and provided with an inclined instrument receiving surfacehaving therein grooves for the instruments, and with a cavity ordepression at the upper end of said surface over which the ends of theinstrument project, the grooves also preferably extending down into saidcavity or depression.

In the accompanying drawings Figure l is a perspective view of myimproved rack or tray; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section on the line 22Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a cross section on the line 33 Fig. '1.

The rack or tray comprises a suitable body 1, provided with a surface 2,inclined upwardly from one end of the rack to the opposite end thereof.At its upper end the rack is provided with 'a transverse concave ordepressed portion 3, extending entirely across the same and having itsbottom considerably below the surface 2. The bottom of the rackpreferably will be formed to conform somewhat to the top surface, sothatthe rack rests only on its lower end and the bottom of the depressedportion 8. How ever, if desired, the lower face may be fiat, in whichevent the rack will be somewhat heavier than if constructed as shown.

The surface 2, is surrounded by a suitable wall or barrier, consistingof side walls 5, and lower end wall 6. Formed in the surface 2, are aseries of grooves 7 extending from the lower to the higher endv of saidSpecification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 28, 1908.

Patented Sept. 28, 1909.

Serial No. 450,764.

surface, and also preferably extending down into the curved bottom ofthe depression 3, as shown at 8. These grooves are adapted to receivethe tools or instruments 9, with the ends of said instruments projectingover the depression.

To pick up an instrument a finger is placed on the projecting end of theinstrument and the latter is pressed down into the depres sion 3. Thistilts the lower end of the instrument upwardly, and the groove 8, in thedepression 3, guides the instrument and prevents the same from swingingsidewise, but causes the same to swing upward in a vertical plane anddirectly into the hand of the user. Consequently the rack is veryconvenient to use as any one instrument can be quickly and readilypicked out of the same without disturbing the other instruments.

The rack is formed of some suitable germproof material which can bethoroughly sterilized, such as by boiling and the like. Prefe ably it isconstructed of vitreous substance such as glass or porcelain having ahighly vitreous surface. It may, if desired, be made of metal coatedwith a vitreous enamel.

lVhat I claim is:

l. A rack for dental and similar tools and instruments comprising a trayhaving its bottom provided with uninterrupted longitudinal grooves forreceiving the instruments and having at one end a wide depressiontransverse to the grooves and much deeper than said grooves, said bottomcurving downwardly to form said depression, whereby an instrument can berecovered by pressing its overhanging end into said depression.

2. A rack for dental and similar tools and instruments comprising a trayhaving its bottom provided with longitudinal grooves for receivinginstruments, and having at one end a depression transverse to thegrooves and much deeper than said grooves, the grooves extending downinto said depression.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto setmy hand.

IVESLEY LINFORD SMITH.

IVitnesses IVILLIAM I. KING, F. V. IVINTER.

